The present invention relates to an apparatus for conveying containers, such as PET bottles, suspended by protruding neck rings.
As is known, containers with protruding neck rings can be conveyed using air conveyors in which the container is supported under the neck ring within a track and is propelled by air jets produced by fans located along the container feed path.
Air conveying apparatus normally comprises a supporting frame on which the track that supports the container by its neck ring is mounted.
There may also be guides running parallel to the feed path designed to keep the body of the container vertical.
Air conveying apparatus of this known type has an important disadvantage. Indeed, in the Applicant""s experience in the sector, jams frequently occur along the feed path, especially if long-necked bottles are being handled.
The aim of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned disadvantage by providing an apparatus for conveying suspended containers with protruding neck rings and which is capable of detecting and eliminating jams along the container feed path. This aim is fully achieved by the apparatus for conveying containers suspended by their protruding neck rings made according to the present invention as characterised in the claims below and in particular characterised in that it comprises means for detecting jammed containers along the feed path and at least one pusher mounted on a supporting structure and designed to act on the containers when a jam is detected.